Greed without Virtue Leads to Disaster

In the Zhou Dynasty (770 B.C. -260 B.C.), there was a man called Tao Dazi and was the Head of Tao Town for three years. He did not have a good reputation, but he tripled his family's wealth.

His wife said to him, "If one is not capable, but assumes a high ranking position, he can only do harm; if one accumulates wealth without merit, he is accumulating potential disaster. Now you are accumulating more and more wealth just because you are greedy. I heard there is a leopard in the South Mountain who was hiding in the foggy rainy for seven days to moisten its fur and help it to grow spots, so that it can better avoid being harmed. If a pig eats everything and gets fat, it will be soon butchered. You do not cultivate virtue but our family is getting wealthy day by day. We are doomed to face disaster." Tao Dazi did not listen to his wife's persuasions, and instead, chased her out of the house.

Only one year later, he was be-headed for corruption.

If one does not do good deeds or accumulate virtue, and is instead greedy and seeks only wealth, he is like a lamp burning without enough oil. How is he not seeking to be destroyed? We should remember,

"Virtue is accumulated in past lives. Becoming a king, an official, wealthy, or nobility all come from virtue. No virtue, no gain; the loss of virtue means the loss of everything. Thus, those who seek power and wealth must first accumulate virtue. By suffering hardships and doing good deeds one can accumulate virtue among the masses." ( Essentials for Further Advancement, Wealth with Virtue)